The flipped opening images of palm trees against an indigo night sky signal the beginning of a compelling mystery. Gemini is a disorienting jungle, not a La La Land of glittering dreams.

Like star-driven studio movies such as “Baby Driver,” “Gemini” could be this year’s indie breakout hit. It splits the difference between an art-house drama and a more mainstream thriller. This “Gemini” wants to have it both ways and succeeds.

With a simple-yet-effective metaphor, director Katz presents a skewed view of Hollywood. The film, which premiered at SXSW Film Festival, follows in the cinematic footsteps of great Hollywood noir like Sunset Boulevard, The Bad and the Beautiful, and Mulholland Drive.

These films function at two levels. The glitz and gutter of filmed fiction and the harsh realities of a cutthroat business. The surface is beautiful and intoxicating, but the seedy underbelly can be deadly.

Gemini explores the ambiguities of the dynamics in Hollywood, testing this dynamic when one of them drops dead. A subtle, sophisticated neo-noir, focused on the odd co-dependent relationship between a starlet and her personal assistant.

Kirke who plays Jill gives off a sleepy-eyed but smart Chloe Sevigny-esque vibe. Her impulsive boss, Heather Anderson (Zoe Kravitz) test Jill’s damage control and conflict resolution skills. The Hollywood starlet escapes from the spotlight and the all-seeing eye of social media.

Rich with red and blue fluorescent lighting, the film promises a stylistic trip into the dark. Producer Adele Romanski, a Best Picture Oscar winner for Moonlight, therefore, assures quality.

Sync Placement: ‘La Vita E Colorata’ by I Campioni featured in the soundtrack of the film.